Leather-crimper.



Patented July 3|, I900.

L'. GODBOUT.

LEATHER cnmPEn.

(Application filed. Mar. 21,

g] MW (No Model.)

NITEED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS GODBOUT, OF WYANDOTTE, MICHIGAN.

LEATHER-CRIMPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,073, dated July 31, 1900.

Application filed Marol121, 1900. Serial No. 9,593. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, LOUIS GODBOUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVyandotte, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Leather-Orimper, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to a leather-crimper for crimping a shoe-upper; and the object of the same is to provide simple and efiective means for forming a shoeupper from a single piece of leather and giving it the proper form and shape by pursuing the, ordinary methods of crimping on the improved device, the latter having adjustable and separable features to render it convenient in effectively carrying out the several crimping operations.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a crimping device embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2-is a sectional side elevation of the improved crimping device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the crimping block shown inverted. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the intermediate support to which the crimping-block is removably attached.

Similar n umerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a crimping-block comprising a front section 2, to which is adj ustably applied a rear section 3. Thelower portion of the section 2 has a foot extension 4:, which is continuous with a vertical member 5, conforming in contour, approximately, to the ankle and adjacent limb portion of a shoe-upper. The rear section 3 is also shaped to correspond to the natural form of the heel and rear portions of the ankle and adjacent limb and has upper and lower angular recesses 6 and 7 for a purpose which will be presently set forth. The rear section 3 is freely adj ust able toward and away from the section 2, and the contiguous faces of the twosections, as at 8, are straight, so that when both faces abut or coincide to reduce the block to its minimum size the two sections will be virtually continu ons and without lateral projections or shoulders. In the upper andlower portions of the face 8 of the section 3 metallic screw blocks or nuts 9 and 10 are mounted and countersunk or embedded in the said section, so as to have one face of each flush with the adjacent face 8. The nuts 9 and 10 are of angular form or so shaped that when disposed in recesses of similar form they will be prevented from turning, and thus serve efficiently to coact and give bearing to adjusting screw-rods 11 projecting into the recesses 6 and 7 in the upperand lower portions of the section 3 and through the said section partially into the section 2, the front ends of said adjusting-rods being grooved, as at 12, and held by slotted swivelplates 13, relatively located in the section 2 and formed of metal to resist wear, the said plates being let into slots li and of less length than the latter, and to fill the slots suit-able strips or pieces 15 of wood or material similar to that of which the sections of the crimping-block are formed are used. Secured to the upper and lower ends of the section 3 are gage-plates 16, provided with suitable scales, as shown by Fig. 3, and freely movable over the adjacent end portions of the section 2, so that the adjustment at opposite portions of the block may be regularly made and to correspond to different sizes of shoes to be crimped. It will be'observed'that when the section 3 is adjusted to or from the section 2 bymanipulating the adjusting-rods ll the gage-plates 16 will be correspondingly moved, and, moreover, it is possible to make the sections of the block stand in regular relation to each other or have them spaced at irregular distances at opposite extremities and in accordance with the measurements to be followed in crimping the leather for a particular upper.

The entire block is sustained in working position by the section 2, which has a lower longitudinally-disposed rib l7 with upwardly and inwardly beveled side edges 18 to remov ably enter a longitudinally-disposed corre spending slot 19 in the upper horizontal member 20 of an intermediate support 21, the lat ter also comprising a vertical me1nber22,hav ing a horizontal cylindrical shank 23 pr0jecting forward therefrom and provided with a spirally-threaded extremity 24. The shank 23 is rotatably mounted in the upper portion the said stand to be swung thereon in a horizontal plane, and thereby simultaneously adjust the block above in the same direction.

The stand has a foot 27 projecting from one side, which serves as a brace to support the block above with stability during the crimping operation, and on the screw or spirally threaded extremity 24 of the shank 23 a swing-clamp 28 is adj ustably fitted and provided with a radial arm 29, adapted to be thrown into contact with opposite portions of the stand to serve as alock for the clamp and tomaintain the degree of adjustment of the shank or so that the intermediate support 21 may be disposed obliquely to the stand and so held while working or crimping the leather on the block above and for the convenience of the operator.

In operation the sections 2 and 3 are adjusted or arranged by the movement of the section 3 to accommodate the size of the upper to which the leather is to be worked down by crimping, and the leather is then placed on the complete crimping-block in a wet condition and subjected to the usual crimping operations of rubbing and other surface treatment to bring it to the shape of the block, and during such operation the block may be turned horizontally at will or moved obliquely to a' vertical plane and fixed by the meansset forth and also simultaneously swungin a horizont'alplane by the rotation of the stand 25 and obliquely arranged through the shank 23-t0 accommodate the position desired and fixed to maintain its angular position. The usual methods of fastening the upper-leatherare employed, and after the crimping operation has been completed the crimping-block as an entirety can be removed from the intermediate support 21 by grasping the section 2 and drawing it forwardly, so as to relieve the rib 17 from the, frictional binding action of the wallsof theslot 19 in the horizontal member of the support '21. The block may afterward be applied and held on the support 21 by reinserting the rib 17 in the slot 19, and to permit a firm grip on the block 2 to beobtained the lower rearportion of thefsection 2 thereof is provided with opposite recesses 30, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. g

It will be understood that the sections 2 and .3, as well as the remaining features of construction explained, will be formed of suitable wood by preference and of that character usually employed in constructing boot- It will also be untrees, lasts, and the like. derstood that one crimping devicemay be employed for making various sizesof shoeuppers or of treating said uppers thereon in themanner set forth; but itis intended to vary the form, portions, and size of the several parts as well as resort to changes in minor details withoutdeparting from the principle crim ping-block is removably attached, and a rotatable stand carrying'the'said support. 2. A crimping device comprising a crimping-block transversely divided at the rear to form two sections one of which is adjustable on the other, and an adjustable support to which the front section of the crimping-block is removably attached. 7

3. Al crimping device comprising a crimping-block transversely divided at the rear to form two sections, one of-which is adjustable on the other, gage-plates attached tothe upper and lower portions of the said adjustable section and freely movable over portions of the other section, and an adjustable support to which the front section of the block is removably attached. In testimony that I-claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto. afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS GODBOUT.

Witnesses:

T. G. CARTWRIGHT, A. T. BURNS. 

